


The Ride of Your Life

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Falling for You [17]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-04-04
Packaged: 2017-12-07 10:13:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/747345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>News had already spread around town like a wildfire that John and Kate were engaged.  She showed everyone who asked the ring.  Everyone was asking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ride of Your Life

“Charlie?”

“Hey Detective Barton.” Charlie came from under the hood of a Chevy. “It’s good to see you again.” Charlie wiped his greasy hands on a rag before sticking it back in the pocket of his Levis. He shook John’s hand and smiled at Kate. Charlie didn’t smile a lot but Kate was pretty and always cordial. “How are you, Ms. Wolcott?”

“You can call me Kate Charlie, its fine. I can't be too much older than you. We don’t need to be so formal.”

“OK.” he nodded.

“Is it ready?” John asked.

“It’s ready. Just one thing, I put a vanity plate on it so I have to charge you back the $25.”

“That’s not a problem.”

Charlie went into the corner of his small Walnut Road auto garage and grabbed the bike. He pushed it out into the open. John smiled as he pulled the tarp from over it.

“Oh wow Charlie.”

“She's a beauty, isn’t she? I went for the maroon because I thought a boy might like that better than the doublemint green. Is it OK, Kate?”

“I think maroon is a good color?” she nodded.

“I put the new wheels on it; they're lighter than air. Then I fused the cards into the spokes. I had my kid looking up the echo stuff you were telling me about on the internet. I figured maybe the cards could kinda act as the clicking noise. They would let Stanley know which direction he was traveling in and if he got too close to something. 

“The electronic horn is here on the handlebar.” Charlie pressed it. “It sounds like a car so real cars know when he's coming. You can remove it and change the battery; it’s a 9 volt. I also converted the double kickstand to a single so it’ll be easier to just kick up with his sneaker. And of course the most awesome part, OK not the most awesome but pretty close,” Charlie turned the bike around. “He's got his own vanity license plate.”

Kate couldn’t help but smile when she saw it. It was for New Hampshire and said RIDIN BLIND. She knew they weren't making fun of him but letting others know just who they were passing on the sidewalk.

“I can't thank you enough for this Charlie.” John said. “This is a classic Schwinn. The parts alone must have cost you an arm and a leg.”

“I know a guy. That’s all I'm gonna say since you're an officer of the law and all.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Do you like it Kate?” Charlie asked, scratching his tomato red hair.

“It’s a great bike. I'm sure Stanley is going to be the happiest kid on Earth when his birthday comes. I don't know how to thank you for the hard work.”

“It wasn’t a problem.” Charlie shook his head. “I'm over and under cars all day long here. It was actually nice to be working on something else. My kid is almost 17 now…she doesn’t ride a bike like she used to. It’s been a while since I had a project like this.”

“Thanks so much Charlie.” John reached into his pocket for his wallet. He pulled out a fifty and handed it to the mechanic. “Keep the change.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. This is a great job. Do you mind leaving it here until Friday? I don’t want Stanley to catch wind so I’ll pick it up the night before the party.”

“No, I’ll keep it in the corner.” Charlie put the tarp back over the bike. “What time do you want to stop by on Friday? I usually close up early.”

“How's four o’clock?” John asked.

“That’s fine. If I'm not here, Doug Summers is gonna be working so just let him know what you're here for.”

“Thank you so much Charlie.” Kate said.

“It’s not a problem. I was Stanley’s age once. All I wanted was a bike. My old man busted his hump here at the garage to get me one. So I understand. I'm glad I could even help a little bit.”

“You helped a lot.” John said. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

“Have a good day.” Charlie waved.

John and Kate walked out hand and hand. It was early March in Newberry. Even though the weather was cloudy, it wasn’t a bad day. It was a perfect day to walk and enjoy the fact that it wasn’t snowing. The couple had walked the half-mile from Kate’s place on Canal Street to Beauchamp’s Garage. 

Now they were going to walk almost a mile in the other direction to Main Street and Brooks Diner. Lots of other people were out and about as well. They stopped to talk with many of them. News had already spread around town like a wildfire that John and Kate were engaged. She showed everyone who asked the ring. Everyone was asking.

“So Charlie’s dad used to run the garage?” she asked John when they were finally alone again.

“Yeah. Dick Beauchamp lived up to his name. He was in no way a nice person. Damn good mechanic but all around douche bag. Not too many people shed tears when he passed away.”

“It sounds like Charlie loved him.”

“Not really.” John shook his head. “He often beat up on Charlie. He taught him everything he knows about cars so I guess that was something. I see it all the time in households with abuse. The child loves the parents and hates them at the same time.”

“That is so sad. And now he’s raising Ashley on his own.”

“Her mother left town when she was probably five or so. Charlie and his mother raised her until Karen died about five years ago. Ashley is smart and funny…she’s going to go places in life. He's being the best dad he knows how.”

“Since I trust her with my son I think she's a pretty good kid.” Kate said. “Everyone in this town has a story.”

“Everyone everywhere has a story. The difference is in Newberry we all know each other’s stories whether we want to or not.”

“We should have a gossip session one night where you just tell me everything.” She smiled.

“Or not.” John winked when she looked at him. Then he kissed her hand.

“Stanley is up on more town gossip than I am. He and his friends seem to talk about adult things all the time. That concerned me some but then I remembered that it wasn’t much different when I was a kid. I don’t think Stanley believes half the things they talk about anyway.”

“I'm really glad to hear that. So do you like the bike?”

“The bike is amazing. I can't even believe that he did that with his hands.” Kate looked at her fiancée. “But that’s not the question you're asking me, is it?”

“No.”

“I'm petrified. I've come to realize as a mother that I just might be for a long time to come. I'm going to trust you on this, John. I'm going to trust you to teach Stanley to ride and then watch him when he does. I'm going to do my best not to be paranoid about the entire thing. I'm also going to quell the urge to buy him knee and elbow pads.”

“On that last thing I beg you to fight it.” John said.

“You think he can do it?”

“I know he can. He's getting great on his scooter. All the other kids ride around and I think he just wants to be a normal kid. As parents we teach him that he can be anything he wants to be.”

“You're handling the parent thing a lot better than I did at first.” Kate said.

“I'm an old man; I've been preparing for this a long time.”

“When I first signed up to foster and adopt I didn’t know what to expect. I was young and alone; I don’t even know why I did it. When they called me about Stanley I was over the moon. It was a tough transition but he was just so sweet and well-behaved. He became my son almost from the moment we met. I just wasn’t sure how to be a mom. We learned so much together…I think that’s why we’re so close.”

“But you had nieces and nephews before being a mom right?” John asked.

“I did.” She nodded. “I liked them, but I never spent tons of time with them. My brother’s kids are pretentious snots. I can definitely say that. You're closer to your siblings than I am to mine.”

“We’re not the Waltons.”

“I know. Still, it'll be nice to get to know your family better. For the most part it’s just been Stanley and I. That kind of change is good.”

“I think my family is going to love you. I love you so they most definitely will.”

“Did they love Laura?” Kate asked.

She didn’t talk to him a lot about his ex-wife. She surely had a million questions but it was tough to start that conversation. Kate couldn’t just ask him to spill the beans on their entire relationship while passing the gravy. It was a delicate situation. So far John hadn't shied away from anything she asked him. She wanted to see if now was any different.

“They were always kind to Laura. I know my one sister, Pats, never liked her but Pats is hard to please. She was my wife so my family treated her with kindness and respect. My mother was very upset when we divorced. I think that was more because it hurt me than because she missed Laura. She knew how much I wanted to make my marriage work.”

“I'm sorry you had to go through that, John.”

“Thank you. But if I hadn't then I wouldn’t be here with you.”

Crossing the street onto Main, they came across even more foot traffic. It was Saturday afternoon so the barber shop, hardware store, bookstore, and coffee house were all packed with locals and people who came in from Manchester to enjoy the tranquility. The diner was crowded too but they were able to get a table with minimal wait.

“I'm glad you're here with me.” Kate reached across the table and took both of his hands. “People are whispering all over town about what a catch I got.”

“Well I don’t like to brag or anything…”

“I'm sure you don’t, Detective Barton.”

“Have I told you today how much I love you?” John asked.

“Nope, I don't think so.” Kate shook her head. “Go on, give it to me; I'm ready.”

“We’ll have a really great lunch and then I’ll take you home so I can tell you all about it.”

“I give that idea two enthusiastic thumbs up.”

John was glad they were making love again. It didn’t make any of it easier but they knew they were going to be together now. It still felt uncomfortable to walk away, leave each other alone, but they were never really alone. They were going to be husband and wife…a family. 

Kate still hadn't set a date, or even talked about it, but John was patient. He knew that she was just as excited to tie the knot as he was. It was possible that Stanley might be even more excited than the couple. He’d told all his school friends they were getting married. He told John that he couldn’t wait to have a dad and do father-son stuff. 

This bike he was getting for his birthday was going to be a great surprise. John knew he was going to love it. Not just so he could ride around with his friends but because it was something they could do together. John and Kate were awesome…the detective couldn’t ask for a better woman in his life. But John, Kate, and Stanley were all that he’d been waiting for.

***


End file.
